User blog:Chrono Nexus/Role Playing 101
Good, I'm glad to see you've arrived. *adjusts tie* Let's begin the lesson. *picks up chalk and begins writing on board* Remember class, this subject will be on your final exams, so pay close attention and take notes. The Social Contract The first thing a person should know about role playing- is that it is a social exercise. It involves interacting with other people, and the elements of compromise and respect are key to your success at it. 'Initiating the Contract' *'Motivation:' A role player has objectives and motivations for initiating a role play. This could be anything from a power fantasy, to emotional and plot development of their characters, to emulating an idol.... the reasons are numerous. Always identify why you want to role play, and encourage your partner to tell you his reaons. Put all of your cards on the table. This enables both of you to collaborate and coordinate your actions to create a more enjoyable story and role play. *'Assumptions:' There are a set of unwritten rules that role players are expected to abide by. One is that both must assume the other is acting in good faith. Each role player must trust the other won't intentionally lie to him- although the characters might deceive each other. Another assumption is that a person can't change his character midway through a role play; his character is the same one the other player agreed to role play with. It is also an assumption that a role player will not steal control of another person's character. *'Establish Goals:' Describe the conclusion you want, in discrete terms. For example, saying 'I want my character to show off his superior skill in swordsmanship' or 'I want him to save someone'. Combine your goals together and establish a conclusion both of you want. *'Establish the Central Conflict:' Figure out why your characters are fighting or otherwise competing against each other. They could have a common love interest... perhaps they wish to test eachothers' mettle. Maybe they fight on opposing sides in some larger conflict. Revenge, betrayal, a friendly spar... humans never run out of reasons to fight. A strong central conflict will make the role play itself draw greater attention. By imbuing the central conflict with philosophical stances and emotional investments, the conflict can evolve into a cosmic ideological struggle, instead of a simple exchange of fists. This creates something important, that I'll come back to: Plot Emphasis. 'Role Playing' *'Beginning the Role Play:' Begin the roleplay in motion; the characters are actors, they should be acting, not accumulating dust in their houses. Give them a purpose to act upon: they have an in-character reason to be where they are. This momentum can guide the direction of the roleplay, kickstarting both players to action. Align the motivations of your character so that they will end up in situations that achieve your goals for the roleplay. You want the character to show flashy break-dance fighting moves? He's been tasked with preventing the assassination of the prime minister of Malaysia. You want him to develop a romance? A princess is in mortal peril. *'Creating Exchanges:' An exchange is any time one player character interacts with another. In simple terms, this could be an "attack". All exchanges must be written open-ended; you cannot dictate how your character's attack will effect his opponent, because anything that happens to a character falls under the narrative control of that character's player. It's easy to simply say, "my character dodges the attack with ease", but this way of responding just as easily falls into a pitfall of role playing- disrespect. A better way is to acknowledge the other character's actions and incorporation them into your response. For example, you would instead say "My character narrowly avoids the sword as it cuts through the fabric of his shirt, slicing a fine line through the flimsy cloth- but miraculously leaves the skin untouched. *'Narrative Emphasis:' Narrative emphasis is using the organization of a sentence or paragraph to instill an increased sense of focus on a particular aspect of the writing. For example, "My character deflects the attack." emphasizes the character. "The attack barely misses my character." emphasizes the attack. In this way, certain parts of what you write can be seen as essential- this tips the other role player off, that what you are emphasizing is important. So, when you notice this, you can know that responding to what they are emphasizing is what they want you to do. In simple words, when you say "My attack roars with an awesome power.", you are emphasizing that the power is roaring awesomely. A response that takes your emphasis into consideration would be "My character clutches his ears in pain and stares in terror as the attack barrels down upon him." *'Plot Emphasis:' Plot emphasis basically means, making parts of a story relevant by describing them in detail. So, including information about your character's sword, such as what it's made of or where it came from, tells the reader that it is important to you and the future of the story. For example, "My character has a symbol on his back" vs. "My character has a spiral symbol on his back, instantly recognizable as the ancient coat of arms of his clan." *'Concluding the Role Play:' So your characters have had a slew of exchanges and engagements, and you feel like ending the role play. Don't think in terms of "winning" the role play. As long as both of you get what you originally wanted from the role play, you are both winners. Discuss how you want it to end with your partner, and create an ending that is equally fun for both of you. 'Pitfalls of Role Playing' *'Disrespect:' Disrespect means showing a lack of respect for your role play partner. Direct insults are one form of disrespect. Dishonesty is another. Showing a lack of effort when you write is also a form of disrespect. Autohitting is also disrespectful. *'Godmodding:' Godmodding is modifying or editing your character, and then introducing your new power or ability to a roleplay without the permission of the other player. When you do this, you have violated one of the assumptions of the social contract- that you are using the same character your partner agreed to roleplay with. *'Metagaming:' Metagaming is when a player has their character act on information the character does not or could not possess in order to gain advantage in the role play. Knowing all of the weaknesses of a technique, jutsu, or power the character has never seen is the most common form of this violation. *'Ignorance:' Ignorance is when a player ignores another player's contributions to a role play, either by outright denying the player's posts have any effect on the role play, or by being unwilling to read the other player's character to understand how their abilities work, and making incorrect assumptions about them. *'Selfishness:' Selfishness is when a role player shows a lack of concern about the other role player's enjoyment. He doesn't care if the other role player is happy, as long as he gets what he wants. And he doesn't want to compromise, either. Category:Blog posts